Pennsylvania Statutes Title 35 P.S. Health and Safety § 450.501. Death and fetal death registration:  Certificates to be filed

A certificate of each death or fetal death which occurs in this Commonwealth shall be filed within four (4) business days after the death or fetal death or within four (4) business days after the finding of a dead body or fetal remains.  In every instance, the certificate shall be filed prior to the issuance of a permit for interment or other disposition of the dead body or fetal remains.  The person in charge of interment or of removal of the dead body or fetal remains from the registration district shall file the certificate with any local registrar or the State Registrar of Vital Statistics, who shall be authorized to issue certified copies of such death.